The MSC cruise website is horrible

[smokey haze]

Thank you for this post. Other then the MOR cruise I think I will steer clear of this cruise line. It just doesn't seek worth the effort and time to deal with such incompetence

[cruiser101101]

The South African site is perfectly fine.

[EdmPair]

RSA is good. Well, that might be 2% of the cruise market. Partner is booked on the Cruise to the Edge charter. That booking went well, but the more we hear the less likely MCS will be considered in the future.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

I agree with what has been said, the website is in need of a total revamp.

[Skipper Tim]

http://www.traveldailymedia.com/147448/msc-cruises-wins-website-award

[mmt44]

I note that the award does not mention accuracy, completeness or fat finger friendliness of the website.

 

There is an article in the NYTimes today about Italian elections that says all a politician needs for popularity is entertaining speech and blame someone else for problems. Such is the expectation for "customer service".

[sthelder]

http://www.traveldailymedia.com/147448/msc-cruises-wins-website-award

 

Informative? So off the mark, 17 languages are more likely a result of 17 regional pricing and market segments. Proof? Booking number is not global but regional based.

[Skipper Tim]

Informative? So off the mark, 17 languages are more likely a result of 17 regional pricing and market segments. Proof? Booking number is not global but regional based.

 

... And MSC said, "Come, let us go down and confound their speech, cruises and pricing." And so MSC created a web site so that they would not be able to compare their cruises ever again, and they left off building the Cruise Critics discussion board "because with its web site, MSC confounded the cruise-goers of all the Earth".

Edited February 24, 2013 by Skipper Tim

[sidari]

Have to say that the MSC site has improved a lot since last November, at least now we can see our bookings made with a travel agent and also able to book drink packages and tours which we were prevented from doing last year.

 

One annoying thing is logging in to see a booking but then having to log out and in again to look at another one!

Edited February 24, 2013 by sidari

[Skipper Tim]

Have to say that the MSC site has improved a lot since last November, at least now we can see our bookings made with a travel agent

 

I can't see my booking made direct with MSC! It took months of emailing to be able to see my cruise points and Club status.

 

I have consistently been told that I won't be able to see my cruise details because I booked it over the phone. I have just checked and it is still the same.

[sidari]

Hi Tim .... That is odd seeing as you booked with MSC! we were told by them last year that we could not see ours because we booked via a travel agent. Both bookings for this year are online and the updated points and card status.

[earn]

I have to agree that their admin and wensite leave a lot to be desired. Does anyone know how I can avaoid having to put full details of all pasengers in before doing a dummy booking to check prices. I just pick random dates of brith etc to make it quicker, but for four passenger it is still irritating.

 

I booked my cruise through a TA, and then created an MSC account, but couldn't link the two. Sennt an email and was told I couldn;t link them until I was an MSC CLub member after my first cruise. Sounds like even that might not work!

[sidari]

Earn .... what you say now explains things because last year we could not see our booking, now we have done one cruise and are members of the MSC club our bookings for this year show up on their website even though we have booked via a travel agent.

 

There is no way to do a dummy booking without filling in the number of people and cabins which is quite annoying .... :eek:

[Skipper Tim]

I have to agree that their admin and wensite leave a lot to be desired. Does anyone know how I can avaoid having to put full details of all pasengers in before doing a dummy booking to check prices. I just pick random dates of brith etc to make it quicker, but for four passenger it is still irritating.

 

Yes there is a way - use another website! I use two. The Co-op Travel web site for UK prices (which I have bookmarked on their cruises search page to save time) and, if I already know UK prices but just want to check availability through different cabins categories as fast as possible, then a US site by the name of cruises-n-more. You still have to answer a couple of questions but just the basics and only once with the latter.

 

I booked my cruise through a TA, and then created an MSC account, but couldn't link the two. Sennt an email and was told I couldn;t link them until I was an MSC CLub member after my first cruise. Sounds like even that might not work!

 

What they told you does not ring true either. I was already an MSC Club member armed with my MSC Club no. when I booked my forthcoming cruise and it does not show on in 'My MSC Area'. Conversely, I was not an MSC Club member when I made my previous booking (online, direct) and that did show in My MSC Area, but only after emailing them. This time, I have been told by multiple MSC departments that there is no way to make my current booking appear online.

 

I can however log into the 'reserve your extras onboard' pages and select things which I know don't exist for booking, which change price drastically between selecting them and appearing in my 'basket', or which are priced at zero!" The whole site is a shambles. It is just as well it is not IT they are selling.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Skipper Tim

[sidari]

Tim ... have you tried contacting Rachel Green on her E mail at MSC ? our bookings appear on the my msc area, so your should also.

 

I changed my E mail address and everything was there ? go back to my old one and nothing is there, may be worth changing your E mail address on there.

[Skipper Tim]

Tim ... have you tried contacting Rachel Green on her E mail at MSC ? our bookings appear on the my msc area, so your should also.

 

I changed my E mail address and everything was there ? go back to my old one and nothing is there, may be worth changing your E mail address on there.

 

Yes, Rachel was one of those who told me it couldn't be done.

 

I have already had to change my email address to get as far as I did, i.e. being able to see points and status.

 

Thanks anyway.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Skipper Tim

[sidari]

Hi Tim .... No idea who did ours at MSC but the fact that it is there proves that it can be done, cannot understand why they tell you it can`t !

[AmoMondo]

I can see both of mine, both booked by phone with MSC. It's annoying though, as Dave says, you can only view one at a time by logging via the onboard services, then having to logout and back in under the other cruise.

[sidari]

Another odd thing with their website is that i can see the drink packages ordered online for November and the bus to Amsterdam in June but cannot see the dinks package ordered for June via our Travel agent! though i have the paperwork that confirms they were ordered!!

[AmoMondo]

I'm the same Dave. I booked my Allegrissimo over the phone with MSC for the Musica at the same time I made the booking. It's on the invoice but I can't see it online. I presume this is because I'll be billed for it with my final invoice. I can see it for the Sinfonia but I booked it online and I'm presuming that none gets added to my onboard account.

 

It's all confusing and I wish you could see everything online regardless of how it was booked. Maybe one day.......

[sidari]

Amo .... Sure i noticed when i booked the drink package for November that it said the cost would be charged to the on board account. The two packages show up in the booking for November at the bottom of the page under the shopping trolley part.

Edited February 26, 2013 by sidari

[earn]

Any advice?

 

I have read that the wine package is better than the carafes and cheaper if booked before the cruise, so went on line to try to book 7 bottles. I know it used to be there as I saw it also included water, which I didn't really need, so held off. Looks like I should have have gone for it, as it is no longer available on line. Emailed MSC and they got back to me quite quickly to say I should book it through my TA? Contacted them, and they say I need to do it online! Feel that I am getting the run around! Any thoughts on what to do next. I have sent another email to my TA asking them to look in to it for me.

[Skipper Tim]

I can see both of mine, both booked by phone with MSC. It's annoying though, as Dave says, you can only view one at a time by logging via the onboard services, then having to logout and back in under the other cruise.

 

I can log into the onboard reservations with my booking ref. etc. but the booking does not appear in 'My MSC Area' when I log in there. The 'My Dashboard' and 'My Reservations' are totally missing from the page.

[AmoMondo]

I can log into the onboard reservations with my booking ref. etc. but the booking does not appear in 'My MSC Area' when I log in there. The 'My Dashboard' and 'My Reservations' are totally missing from the page.

 

Well I'm worse than you Tim, I don't even have a My Dashboards or My Reservations section. Maybe it's because I'm using an IPad?

[sidari]

On the msccruises.co.uk website i click on Log In and it goes to the "my msc area" where you have to fill in E mail and password details ..... Once logged in it says Dear David welcome to your personal area, the Right hand side shows my Full name and level of club membership and card Colour and points.

 

Below that there is a box that says Excursions and Special Services, after clicking on Excursions the page changes to "onboard reservations" and you have to fill in the details below ie Booking Ref, Name, Ship and Departure date... and the security check captcha... on the Right hand side is the Web check in.

 

After pressing Enter the details of the booked cruise are shown across the top of the page, below that is the Allegrissimo booking section, Excursions and Special services available for your cruise.

 

Under that is the information "go to your shopping trolley" when you click on that another page comes up and shows the two bookings for the Allegrissimo drink packages we have ordered.

 

Is this what everyone else can see ?

Edited February 27, 2013 by sidari